The Legislature of the State of New Jersey passed a bill to raise the awareness of concussions amongst youth athletes. This bill requires coaches to have head injury safety training to help in the recognition of concussions.
By October 15, 2011 all coaches will be required to have taken the on line Concussion Awareness Training and be able to present their certificate they receive from taking the course.
All coaches will have the certificate with them when they are coaching.
This requirement pertains to both travel and recreation coaches.
1) The Center for Disease Control (CDC) Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to help you recognize a concussion and know how to respond if you think that your athlete might have a concussion. Once you complete the training and quiz, you can print out a certificate, making it easy to show your league or school you are ready for the season.
2) The National Federation of State High School Associations Concussion in Sports - What You Need To Know. Sports-related concussion in high school sports can be serious or even life-threatening situations if not managed correctly. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have teamed up to provide information and resources to help educate coaches, officials, parents and students on the importance of proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports. Mick Koester M.D., ATC, Chair of the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and Director of the Slocum Sports Concussion in Eugene, Oregon takes you through this course. In this course you will understand the impact sports-related concussion can have on your players, how to recognize a suspected concussion, the proper protocols to manage a suspected concussion, and steps to help your player return to play safely after experiencing a concussion.